Device for hanging pictures



(No Model.)

0. L. SMITH. DEVICE FOR HANGING PICTURES. No. 579,333 Patented Mar. 23,1897.

ATTOR/VEH lhvrrnn dramas a'rnnr lrrion.

ORRIN LELROY SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR HANGING PICTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,333, dated March23, 1897. Application filed April 13, 1896. Serial No. 587,363. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORRIN LELROY SMITH, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedDevice for Hanging Pictures or other Articles, of which the following isa specification.

This invention is an improved device for hanging and removing picturesor other articles, it being equally applicable to both operations.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which can be used inconnection with the picture hangers or hooks now in common use and onethat can be used in connection with the ordinary wire or cord in generaluse before the adoption of the picture hook or hanger.

Formerly a nail was driven into the Wall and the wire or cord hung uponsaid nail; but at the present time the more common practice is to securea picture-rod to the wall near the ceiling and support the picture hooksor hangers thereon. The great difliculty, however, occurs in placing thepicture hooks or hangers upon the rod, necessitating the use of astep-ladder, and, furtheremore, in case it is desired to move thepicture to one side or the other it is necessary to remove the entirehook and picture to the adjacent place. All of these operations requirea great deal of time and labor and are more or less tedious.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which can be operatedby either man, woman, or child, and by means of which the picture-hookcarrying the wire can be properly placed upon the rod while the personstands upon the floor and another object is to provide a tool or deviceby meansof which the picture, together with the wire and hook, canreadily be removed from the picture-rod in case it isdesired to takedown the picture or move it to another place.

Another object is to provide a device for the purposes described whichwill securely hold or look the hook and Wire therein while the same arebeing moved up or down to hang or take down a picture.

Another object is to provide a device for the purposes intended whichwill securely engage or operate upon picture hooks or hangers of alldescriptions; and another object is to provide a tool of this kind inwhich the locking operation will be thoroughly automatic.

With these various objects in view my invention consists in the,peculiar construction of the various parts and in their novelcombination or arrangement, all of which will be fully describedhereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

I11 the drawings forming apart of this specification, Figure l is a Viewshowing the invention in use, the wire and picture hook or hanger heldtherein. Fig. 1 is a viewshowing the picture hung, the wire and hookbeing apart from the hanger. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view showingthe device closed upon a picture hookor hanger. Fig. 3 is a detail Viewshowing the device open. Fig. 4: is a similar view from the oppositeside.

In carrying out my invent-ion I employ a pole A, of any desirablelength, and upon the upper end thereof is mounted the thimble or ferruleB, and extending upwardly from said ferrule is a fiat arm C, bifurcatedat its outer end, providing the members C and C A fastening member I) ispivotally mounted upon the upper end of the member C by means of apivotD, said fastening member being essentially U-shaped, but the interiorcurve of the lower member is made somewhat greater, as shown at D*, thanthe curve D upon the upper member.

Upon the exterior of the member D is produced a lug E, which curvesgradually to a point, said lug being adapted to engage a leafspring F,fastened at its lower end to the arm 0 and bearing at its free endagainst the exterior of the fastening member D, and as said member ismoved up or down upon its pivot it is clear that the spring F will restupon either the upper or lower side of the lug E and thereby hold thefastening member in either a closed or open position.

The fastening member, being pivoted upon one member of the arm, swingstoward the opposite member C and engages the same in both its upward anddownward movements, the lower end of the member engaging a shoulder G,formed upon the end of the member 0 while the upper end of the member Dis formed with a shoulder G to increase its thickness and provide a firmbearing upon the shoulder G on the top of the member 0 The shoulder Glimits the upward movement of the fastening member as it is thrown open,and said shoulder also limits the downward movement of said member as itis closed. The interior curve D of the member D is such that when thefastener is thrown down upon the member 0 said edge D will rest slightlyabove the arm 0 and thereby form a suitable guide for the lower en d ofthe picture hook or hanger II.

New in operation in case it is desired to hang a picture upon thepicture-rod I by means of the hook H the picture-wire K is firstinserted in the smaller or lower end of the picture-hook. The fasteningmember I) is then thrown open and the lower member of the hook carryingthe wire is inserted into the said member. The weight of the picturebearing upon the hook immediately throws the lower portion of saidmember down and brings the upper member tight against the centralportion of the picture-hook and binds the same close against the memberC and its shoulder G, and the spring F prevents any possible dislocationof the parts. All of the parts being thus arranged, the picture with itswire and hook are elevated by means of the pole and the larger end ofthe hook placed upon the picture-rod I. The hook thus sustains theweight of the picture and the pole with its attachment can be drawndownward, and in doing so the fastening member is thrown open,as mostclearly shown, thereby leaving the hook upon the rod and the wiresecured in the lower end of the hook. As the fastening member is thrownopen the lug E passes below thehead of the leaf-spring F and therebyholds'said member open ready for the next operation.

I11 case it is desired to take the picture down or remove it to anotherplace on the same rod the pole'is raised, bringing the end of the memberC under the lower end of the picturerod, it being understood that thefastening member at this time is open. As the pole with its attachmentis moved upward the weight of the picture upon the hook and the upwardpressure upon the pole cause the spring F to be overcome and thefastening member thrown down or closed, thereby securely holding thehook therein, and by continuing the upward movement of the pole the hookcan be removed from the rod and moved to another place, if desired, ortaken down.

As before stated, my improved device can be used for hanging picturesupon the ordinary picture-nail in common use before picture hooks androds, and in such case the wire is inserted in the fastener and thenplaced over the nail. The picture being thus supported, the pole can bedrawn down, and in so doing the fastener will of course be opened.

Should it be desired to remove the wire from the ordinary nail, thefastener is first thrown open and then projected up under the wire, andas soon as the wire comes in contact with the lower leg of the fasteningmember said fastening member is thrown closed, and all possibility ofthe wire escaping therethrough will be avoided.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, andeffective device for hanging or removing pictures either in connectionwith the picture hook or hanger or without said hook, and it will alsobe noted that the fastening operations of said device are thoroughlyautomatic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved device for hanging and removing pictures or otherarticles, comprising a bifurcated arm having a shoulder at the end ofone member, a U shaped fastening device pivoted at the end of theopposing member, said fastening device being adapted to contact with thesaid shoulder in both an open and closed position, substantially asshown and described.

2. An improved device for hanging and removing pictures or otherarticles, comprising a bifurcated arm having a shoulder at the end ofone member, a U-shaped fastening member pivoted to the end of theopposite member, said fastening member having a lug upon the exterior,and a leaf-spring adapted to engage said lug and hold the fastenereither open or closed, substantially as shown and described.

3. An improved device for hanging pictures or other articles, comprisingthe bifurcated arm having a shoulder at the end of one member, theU-shaped fastening device pivoted at the end of the opposite member, theupper leg of said fastening device having a shoulder, said fasteningdevice having also a lug adjacent to the pivot, and the leaf-springadapted to engage said lug and hold the fastening device either open orclosed, substantially as shown and described.

4. An improved device for hanging and removing pictures or otherarticles comprising the pole and thimble or ferrule, the arm projectingfrom said ferrule, and bifurcated at its upper end, the U-shapedfastening member pivoted near the upper end of one of the members, andhaving a lug intermediate its ends, and a lateral shoulder upon itsupper end, the upper end of the other member of the bifurcated armhaving a lateral shoulder adapted to engage the lower end of the Ufastening member and limit its upward movement, and the leaf-springattached to the arm, and adapted to engage the lug on the fasteningmember to hold the same open or closed, substantially as shown anddescribed.

ORRIN LELROY SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

LUCIE B. SMITH, JAMEs H. HUKILL.

IIO

